


I See the World in Colors

by Sauric



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Lifelong friends, M/M, Soulmates, seeing colors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-29 12:42:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8490283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sauric/pseuds/Sauric
Summary: Sort of a tumblr prompt fic?http://limeytheamerican.tumblr.com/post/148261617350/soulmate-aus?is_related_post=1I say sort of because it's my own prompt.





	

When Chuck Shurley and Becky Rosen first moved to Lawrence, Kansas, with their sons Michael and Gabriel, the couple had been apprehensive about it at first. But Chuck had a new job working for a publisher and Becky had quickly found a position at the local hospital as a nurse. What eased their concerns was the quiet, safe neighborhood, playground, nearby schools, and above all, their new neighbors. On the first day they moved in with boxes stacked everywhere, John and Mary Winchester had knocked on their door armed with kindness, warm apple pie, and two pairs of strong, willing hands, which quickly became four with the addition of the Winchesters' long-time friends, Bobby Singer and Ellen Harvelle.

As it turned out, despite Chuck's inherent nerdiness, he could still appreciate sports and cars enough to keep up with Bobby and John, both mechanics who co-owned a shop in town. Mary, as it turned out, was also a nurse at the same hospital as Becky, and Ellen, who owned a restaurant and bar in town called The Roadhouse, had even done her fair share as "field medic" on clumsy or fighting drunks. They all got along famously, close friends who spent many a weekend together. When Becky and Mary found out they were pregnant a month apart, Becky due at the end of December and Mary at the end of the following January, they threw each other showers. The fact that they were both boys? They were certain they would be the best of friends.

Becky's son was born Christmas Day, and Mary brought the whole family Christmas dinner a few days later. She and John showered Michael and Gabriel with as much attention as the new baby so they wouldn't feel left out--not that there was any reason to worry. They took to their new brother quickly.

The next month, Becky helped Mary through the birth of her first child, Dean, named for his grandmother. Michael and Gabriel were just as excited for Dean's arrival as they had been for Castiel's. Now the weekends often had the older boys on the floor, dangling toys over the new babies' heads.

Castiel was just ahead of Dean in development, no surprise there, but not long after Castiel was strong enough to roll over and lift his head, Dean could do the very same. It amused Becky and Mary to no end to watch their infants as they tried to make sense of depth, reaching for toys (or so they thought), when Castiel latched onto one of Dean's hands. Their babbling fell silent before they both squealed, and both mothers shot to their feet in alarm before the realized both boys were happily squirming their arms and legs, still clutching tightly to one another. Becky and Mary relaxed, laughing.

"See?" Mary said. "I told you they'd be best friends." They both gazed at their children as they nodded off hand-in-hand.

Now, there's something important you need to know. In this world, people have soulmates. Typically, though, people don't meet their soulmates until they're older. Until the first time you touch your soulmate, the world is muted shades of gray. At first contact, life explodes into full color.

John and Mary had met in high school, Chuck and Becky in college. Gabriel and Michael, of course, couldn't see colors yet, and so it was assumed that neither could Castiel or Dean. And, of course, that would have been normal.

However, occasionally people find their soulmates at a young age. For reasons unknown, perhaps the belief that the young are too immature, it is considered taboo and kept silent. But from the moment Castiel had gripped Dean tightly, their lives were vibrant with shades and hues of the rainbow.

Gabriel had been the first to discover it one day, right before Castiel and Dean were to start kindergarten. He was reading a book on colors with his brother when Castiel paused at the page proclaiming GREEN in large black letters. Castiel tilted his head in his curious manner, pointing at one grayish (to Gabriel, anyway) square. "This is green like the grass outside."

Gabriel squinted. "Are you sure, kid?"

Castiel nodded emphatically, turning the page to BLUE. "And this is blue, like the sky. Except when it rains." A few pages later, on GRAY, he prodded the page. "This is more like the sky during a storm."

Gabriel turned to Castiel. "How do you know?"

The look Castiel sent back was puzzled. "What do you mean? I can see it. Can't you?"

Gabriel shook his head. "No, I only see grays. You only see colors when you meet your soulmate."

Castiel's face scrunched up. "Soulmate?"

Gabriel nodded solemnly. "The person you're destined to be with forever."

"Oh." Castiel was thoughtful for a moment. "I wanna be with Dean forever."

"You don't get to choose, Cassie. Either someone is or isn't, and Dean-o probably still sees grays, too. So he's not your soulmate."

"I'll ask him then."

Gabriel felt panic well up in him, remembering his parents' hushed whispers over young soulmate pairs on the news, how they'd be separated until they were considered old enough to "understand" what it was to be soulmates. "No, Cassie!" Gabriel hissed urgently. "You can't tell anyone! I don't know how you already met your soulmate, but it's a bad thing, you can't tell!"

Castiel frowned, but he promised.

 

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His promise lasted until a week into kindergarten, when Castiel got into a fight with another student over the green finger paint so he could draw a picture of his best friend, Dean. As soon as the teacher figured out what was going on, she called Becky and Chuck in for an emergency parent-teacher conference, after which both of them hurriedly insisted to Castiel that he keep his secret to himself. They told no one, not even their best friends and neighbors, the Winchesters.

"I can't even tell Dean?" Castiel asked, plaintive.

"No, sweetheart, not even Dean," Becky told him.

What they didn't know, however, was that Dean, in a different kindergarten class, was having the exact same problem next door.

Their silence was held through elementary school, play dates, and sleepovers. It held through middle school, movies, video games, and tree houses. It even held through high school, tv marathons, driving to the pool and ice cream shop, and sneaking off to the park together after dark to watch the stars.

The boys spent all of their spare time together. Castiel sat on the bleachers during Dean's practices for football and baseball, attended every game. Dean sat through Castiel's track runs and went to his meets. Dean would pick Castiel up after he got off work from the garage and they'd go to the midnight horror flicks, clinging to one another with every startled shout. They always seemed to be holding hands, touching arms, leaning on one another.

They casually dated here and there--Castiel had dated Hannah and Meg, Dean had dated Anna, Lisa, and Cassie. But they both knew it was a fruitless effort because they already had a soulmate out there somewhere, lost to them, so the relationships were short-lived. Dean silently hid his relief when Castiel broke up, just as Castiel silently hid his tears when Dean dated.

There were near-slips throughout the years--one would off-handedly mention a color and rush to tack on a "--or so my mom/dad says!" in a hurried explanation.

It wasn't until they'd left for college and Castiel had made a friend in a snooty British ass named Balthazar, who never failed to piss Dean off with the way he'd touch Castiel's arm or shoulder or the nape of Castiel's neck while looking at Dean with a smug smirk.

One day, when Dean and Castiel were walking back to their dorm, Balthazar shoved in between them, putting an arm over Castiel's shoulders and his back to Dean.

"You go ahead, Winchester, I need to ask Cassie something."

"Like hell, asshole--" Dean started, but Castiel cut him off.

"Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of Dean."

Balthazar grinned. "Whatever you say, Cassie. So I was wondering if you'd go to the movies with me on Saturday." He looked pointedly at Dean, who was glaring furiously. "On a date."

Dean snapped, swinging hard and clocking Balthazar. He hit the ground, landing on his ass.

"Dean!" Castiel shouted, grabbing at his best friend's arm. "What was that for?"

"Because he's a jackass! I don't give a fuck, even if he's your soulmate! You deserve better than that jerk!"

"Dean," Castiel angled himself between Dean and Balthazar as the latter climbed to his feet, clutching a bloody nose. "Balthazar isn't my soulmate. Had you given me the chance, I would have turned him down for a date. I'm done with dating people who are not my soulmate."

Castiel turned back to Balthazar. "I'm sorry, I can only see you as a friend. I think you should go."

Balthazar glanced between Dean and Castiel before nodding and turning to go without another word. Then Castiel left, too, Dean following silently in his wake. Once they were back in the quiet safety of their dorm room, their things put away, Castiel sat on Dean's bed and patted it for Dean to join him.

"Dean, why did you punch Balthazar?"

Dean scowled at his hands after he'd climbed up after Castiel and settled in. "He's a dick."

"Well, yes, he does appear to intentionally annoy you, but you react. He probably wouldn't do it if you ignored it."

Dean snorted. "No, he'd do worse until I actually did something back," Dean muttered.

Castiel squinted at Dean. "Are you jealous that I have another friend, Dean? I've never been jealous of Victor or Benny, and you've never been jealous of Charlie. You're my best friend, Dean, you must know that. You are the first thing I think of every morning and the last thing before I go to bed at night."

Dean began to fidget. "Charlie's a lesbian, and Victor and Benny are straight. Balthazar is...whatever the fuck he is since he'd screw anyone willing, regardless of parts. If he had been your soulmate..."

"He isn't, Dean."

Dean was quiet, so Castiel lightly touched his shoulder. "Let's go lie out on the green," he suggested, and Dean nodded, the two trailing to the other end of campus to the large, open expanse of grass referred to as "the green" and sprawled out on the grass together, side-by-side, watching the clouds go by. It was comforting, familiar, like they'd done together for their whole childhood. After a long while, Dean spoke so quietly, Castiel almost missed it.

"I wish it was me."

"What?" Castiel turned his head to find Dean staring at him.

"I wish it was me who made you see the world in colors, so that I could tell you--" Dean choked, "--so I could tell you that your eyes are so blue, the sky should be jealous and have it mean everything. But I can't, because I can already see colors. I have for as long as I can remember, so it'll never be me who's your soulmate."

Castiel's eyes widened, and Dean began to sit up, scrubbing at his reddening eyes.

Abruptly, Castiel rolled over, pushing Dean back down and pinning him to the ground.

"Wh-Cas?"

"Always? You don't ever remember seeing grays?" Castiel pleaded with his eyes for Dean to confirm.

"N-no. Never. Cas, what's--"

"Your eyes are greener than the grass. Greener than emeralds. Green that has haunted me all of my life, Dean. When Gabriel told me about soulmates, I told him I picked you, but he said I couldn't pick. Dean, I've always seen colors. I've always wanted you, always been drawn to you," Castiel breathed desperately.

Dean's eyes were open wide, tears brimming in his eyes before spilling down the sides of his face. "S-so you think..."

"I think you're my soulmate, Dean." Castiel frowned down at Dean. "You never told me about seeing colors before."

Dean swallowed and blinked his tears away. "My parents told me not to, that it was a bad thing. I was....I was afraid you'd hate me. Besides, you never told me, either."

Castiel glanced away but looked back when Dean touched his cheek with his fingertips. "My parents, too. I didn't want to scare you away. I loved you. I still love you. Being close to you, being your friend, I wanted it to be enough. But I was scared, too. Scared you'd find your soulmate and leave me alone without you."

"Never, Cas. I love you, too." Dean gave Castiel a wobbly smile, leaning up to press a shy kiss to his lips.

Castiel smiled against Dean's mouth. "We should call our parents."

Dean pulled away with a resigned sigh. "I suppose so. But afterward, I'd really like to just kiss you."

"That can be arranged."

Dean and Castiel wandered back to their room again, seeking the privacy available there, fingers tangled together as they walked. Dean rang his parents first. It was Friday evening, which meant both sets of their parents would be at the same house for dinner. Dean tensed when his father answered, putting the phone on speaker so Castiel could hear.

"Hello, son!" John greeted. "What's going on?"

"Hello, John," Castiel said, and they heard a surprised noise from John.

"Castiel? Where's Dean? Is everything okay?" The sound in the background changed, and Dean knew his dad had put the house phone on speaker, too.

"Uh, hey Dad," Dean choked out weakly.

"Are you okay, dear?" Mary's voice came over the line.

"I'm...I'm fine, Mom. I'm just calling to tell you I found...I found my soulmate."

Dean could hear Chuck and Becky chorusing their congratulations and Sam shouting, "No way! I want to meet my soulmate!"

"Dean," John started, panic in his voice.

"Dad, leave the speaker on. Castiel has something to tell his parents, too."

"What is it, sweetheart?" Becky asked, voice closer .

"You have some good news, too?" Chuck asked.

"Yes, Father. I, too, have found my soulmate."

There was silence on the other end of the line. Then Sam piped up. "You both found yours? At the same time? Lucky."

"Mom?" Dean finally ventured.

"Yes, dear?" Mary asked dazedly.

"Don't you....don't you want to know who? Or...how?"

"Yes, of course, son," John cut in, with murmured agreement from Chuck and Becky.

"My soulmate is Cas, and I'm his."

There was more silence, until Sam tentatively said, "But how? You guys touch all the time. Why would it never work before and all of a sudden work now?"

"Because we think it worked a long time ago, Sammy. Long before you were even born. Both of us have no memories of seeing shades of gray, just colors," Dean explained.

"Both of you?" Mary asked.

"You're sure?" That was Becky.

"Yes, Mother, we're certain," Castiel replied.

"But you've realized only now?" John seemed puzzled.

"You told us not to tell anyone," Dean said. "Not even each other. So we didn't, until today when I...got jealous and punched a guy trying to ask Cas out."

"It makes sense," Castiel interjected calmly. "Aside from doctors and nurses, adults who already found their soulmates, and children who have grown to find their soulmates elsewhere, who else could it be?"

"Becky," Mary said, "do you remember? Dean was barely 12 weeks old, Castiel was 16 weeks?" That was the first time they ever touched, and they seemed so happy about it. Do you think...?"

"It must have been," Becky answered softly. "All of their lives...we kept them apart with a secret."

"Well, it's...I mean," John stammered. 

"You just don't talk about it when you find yours so young. It's how things are," Chuck offered, but Becky barked a short, humorless laugh.

"It's stupid!" Mary said firmly. "It's love. Who cares how old you are? I'm so happy for you boys."

"We all are," John finally managed, Becky and Chuck joining in with agreement.

Sam, ever the snarky teenager at fourteen, said, "Well, I could have told you that you two idiots belonged together. You always seemed like you were dating."

Moments later, everyone erupted into laughter, and when Dean and Castiel hung up, they were feeling pretty damn good.

"So," Dean drawled, bouncing his eyebrows suggestively, "where were we?"

"I believe," Castiel chuckled, leaning in close, "we were right about here."

Dean leaned in, meeting him halfway in a tender kiss.


End file.
